By Joel Clinton
Korando A and Korando B in West Kisumu Constituency are engulfed in fear due to a troubling increase in crime. Women returning home late from the market have increasingly become targets of robbery, with attackers striking along the dark stretches of the Mudasa, Penstate, and Akingli road. Even those on motorbikes are not safe; both riders and passengers are ambushed and robbed by unknown gangs operating at night.
This once peaceful community now lives in constant anxiety. On the night of September 28th, the situation worsened when a man was killed by unknown assailants along the same road. His murder shocked the villages and left many hesitant to go out after dark. The case, being investigated at Kochung Police Station, is still unresolved. Just a week earlier, another tragic event occurred when a young woman was chopped dead with a machete in what authorities believe was a messy love triangle.
These killings have intensified the community’s cry for help. Residents are pressing the local administration and the county government for urgent action to restore safety in the area. Many specifically request street lights along the notorious road, arguing that the darkness provides criminals the perfect cover to operate freely.
Chief Osege, the area administrator, acknowledged that the insecurity issue has spiraled out of control. He stated that efforts to catch the suspects, along with local vigilantes, have been made but the night gangs remain elusive. “We have tried several times to catch them, but they are organized and vanish into the dark. The area needs lighting to make night patrols work,” he said.
Despite ongoing pleas, residents report that both the county and national governments have stayed silent. Traders, students, and boda boda riders now live in fear, with many choosing to avoid movement after sunset.
As night descends over Korando, the once vibrant roads become eerily quiet the silence disrupted only by whispers of fear. Until authorities take action, residents can only hope that darkness does not claim another life.
